Latino USA Records

Original Collection

The original Collecton includes correspondence, minutes, financial documentation, legal and legal style documentation, audio cassette tapes, printed material, creative works, and photographs, 1986-2005, document Latino USA's daily operations in the making of a production of a nationally-syndicated weekly radio program that represents Latino voices. The bulk of the records consist of financial materials (1991-2003) including grants, budgets, financial reviews, and purchase vouchers, illuminating the day-to-day expenses and concerns of the program and its over-arching goals. The administrative records (1991-2004) include staff meeting minutes, planning documents, consultant reports, and correspondence that document the program's internal operations and efforts to improve the business side of Latino USA. The programming records (1990-2005) document the reach of the program through carriage lists, distribution records, and listener responses. A Quantitative Report contains descriptions of segments from 1993 to 2000 and provides an overview of the topics and issues addressed by Latino USA in their weekly programs (Programs Descriptions, 2000). Marketing and Promotional materials (1986-2003) reveal the program's efforts to create awareness, promote the show, and develop audience profiles.

A small body of materials discusses A Tiempo, the precursor to Latino USA, and the development of Latino USA. The records consist primarily of financial documentation, creative works, and printed material (A Tiempo, 1986-1995) concerning the evolution of A Tiempo into Latino USA. In addition to the documenting the work and impact of Latino USA, the records illuminate other organizations that were instrumental in the foundation and continuation of the program, such as National Public Radio, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, KUT, The University of Texas, and The Ford Foundation.

Part 2: Recordings

A chronological listing, consisting of a mixture of audio files, compact discs, and audio cassettes, of the weekly public radio program Latino USA. Each weekly broadcast is given its own entry. At the top of each entry one finds a weekly broadcast number and an original air date for that episode. As all episodes are 29:00 this information has been dropped. Hence, program 1 was broadcast in the eighteenth week of the year 1993. This is followed by information on each segment within the episode. These segments can be considered to be the core of each episode. They are stories that makeup the program. Each segment consists of a segment letter, or number, a written description of the topic, and for the years 1993-2000, entries for subject types and locations.

Following the listing for the program one will find a short list of miscellaneous recordings that includes auditions, demos, and promotions. Also found in this section are several recordings relating to the program episode on the life of Reies Lopez Tijerina.

The collection is not fully processed, but is open for research. Contact the Benson Collection rare books and manuscripts department for more information.